4 Habits That Can Improve Your Performance at Work

No matter what the profession, all professionals are have quirky habits that help them be successful. These four habits are key to improving your performance at work and who knows, they might help you to your next big career break.

Get to work early

Getting to work earlier then you need to might not sound great, but as a habit it has the potential to improve your mindfulness and your outlook. To get to work early, simply pick out your clothes and make your lunch the night before.

The aim of getting to work earlier is merely to cut down on the inherent anxiety of waking up at a fixed time, taking care of your morning constitutionals and then braving the savage rush hour traffic, with the intention of arriving clear-headed and without any lingering road rage. By just giving yourself a few extra minutes you will cut out a lot of frustration and anxiety from your life and likely improve your mood and performance in the workplace.

Leave yourself notes

You never know when an idea might hit you; you could be on the bus or in the shower. Leaving yourself notes might feel like a bad habit but having post-it notes all around your work areas is one possible sign of an active, productive and creative mind.

*If you work on a mac you can stick virtual post-its to your home screen that are great to take down notes whilst you work throughout the day. Just go to Finder > Applications > Stickies.

Visualise your goals

Visualization is a powerful way of thinking. By directly reflecting on your not-so-hopeful feelings before a high–stakes performance, you can put things into perspective and fully understand that the anxiety is all in your head. You can apply this idea to work at any time by practicing this before each big task, interview or review. Be honest about what you are feeling, then crumple up these feelings and throw them away. The feeling you will enjoy afterwards could make a big difference to your work.

Take a minute each morning to arrange your workspace

Our desks are our home from home so it's important to make it feel like a comfortable place to work. Take real ownership of the physical space you work in. When you arrive each morning, take a moment to be sure everything’s where you expect it to be and all your essential tools are within easy reach.

Settling into your workspace each day and making it your own can help you out in several significant ways. It helps you be organized and prepared for the day ahead, but also creates a stronger sense of ownership over the work you do.

Once you've found what works for you, you can relax into your role and be an all round a better performer in your job.